Monday, July 1, 2013

1952 Alfa Romeo C52 Disco Volante (Touring)

On first glance, the voluptuous curves of the Alfa Romeo C52 ‘Disco
Volante’ could momentarily be mistaken as those of a Jaguar E-type; and
indeed, had its cash-strapped manufacturer not shelved the project in
favour of other pursuits, it might have become Alfa’s magnum opus.

The C52 was conceived during an unstable period for Alfa Romeo. While
the company had just taken the 1951 Formula 1 World Championship,
post-War cash shortages within the firm led to its withdrawal from the
competition, with the 1900 Berlina road car deemed to be of higher
importance. But the competition department was allowed a stay of
execution, partly hinging on the promise that it could create an
image-boosting race car for entrance into the 1952 Le Mans and Mille
Miglia, with the potential to be sold to amateur racers.

Using
the 1900 as a basis for the C52 to save money, the competition
department took the design of the car’s 1.9-litre four-cylinder
iron-block engine and fashioned an aluminium block with an increased
bore size. The 1997cc engine now developed 158bhp and was integrated
into the 1900’s existing tubular frame steel chassis, with the
modifications resulting in an overall weight of just 735kg. The final
car was capable of an impressive top speed of around 140mph.

But
obviously, it was the C52’s bodywork which made it so extraordinary.
Coachbuilt by Carrozzeria Touring, the car’s curvaceous, wind-tunnel
tested surfacing not only gave the C52 a super-low drag coefficient
(0.25 Cd, less than that of the 2012 Tesla Model S),
but also inspired the internal nickname of Disco Volante, Italian for
‘Flying Saucer’. The unofficial name subsequently caught on, undoubtedly
due to the public interest in space exploration and extra-terrestrial
sightings in the 1950's.

Coincidentally, the name was also rather fitting
in another sense – finding a comfortable seating position within the
cramped cockpit required bodily proportions of a creature more
other-worldly than human, partially due to the strangely offset tunnel
for the four-speed transmission.

But this was of no concern to
the public, who embraced the Disco Volante and its revolutionary
streamlined contours – though the car’s influence went far further than
this, with the bodywork also said by many to have inspired the
celebrated Jaguar that it’s so often initially mistaken for. Undeniably,
one needs look no further than the side profile of the Disco Volante
coupé to notice some striking resemblances to the E-type, regardless of
the Alfa’s half-metre length deficit alluding to a more upright posture.
And the Disco Volante’s impact wasn’t limited to the 1950s: the 2010
Fiera Milano saw the inauguration of a bronze sculpture of the car to
mark Alfa Romeo’s centenary, while the Pininfarina 2uettottanta concept of the same year made use of some subtle Disco Volante flourishes.

Another car to unashamedly lift some styling cues from the Disco
Volante was the more successful Alfa Romeo 6C 3000 Competizione
Maggiorata of 1952 – which often inadvertently returns the favour, as
many wrongly credit its win at the 1953 Gran Premio Supercortemaggiore
in the hands of Juan Manuel Fangio to the Disco Volante. Similar
confusion surrounds the exact number of Disco Volantes produced, but the
most credible account is that of the late Carlo Felice Bianchi
Anderloni, the car’s lead designer. Anderloni recalls that only four or
five Disco Volantes were built: three spiders with 1997cc engines and
either one or two spiders with the cast-iron, six-cylinder 3000cc engine
from the 6C 3000, the elusive example apparently being built but later
dismantled by Alfa Romeo.

The trio of 2.0-litre cars were all
handed separate fates. One was rebodied as a coupé and resides alongside
an unmodified spider sibling in the Museo Historico Alfa Romeo in Arese
– which is currently closed for refurbishment – but both regularly make
appearances at classic car events. Meanwhile, the third alloy-engined
spider was developed with more conventional bodywork and christened a
fianchi stretti, meaning ‘with narrow hips’. This slim-bodied spider is
part of the famous Schlumpf Collection at the Cité de l'Automobile in
France, while the remaining 3.0-litre car is a main feature of the Museo
Dell’Automobile in Italy, albeit accommodating the 3495cc six-cylinder
it was later given by the competition department.

So, while the
Disco Volante ultimately became four very different examples, the fact
remains that it is one of the true Alfa Romeo greats – perhaps not in
terms of racing heritage, but certainly with regard to design. Sure, it
was built on a budget, didn’t enjoy much track success, and largely used
components from a decidedly average road car. But had Alfa Romeo
possessed the resources and determination to put it into production, the
Disco Volante might have enjoyed the cult status that the E-type now
inspires.